Chapter 21: Katori-sensei Is a Good Colleague

Chapter 21 - 21: Katori-sensei Is a Good Colleague After over a month on the job, Nanatsuki finally met his direct superior—the Head of the Swordsmanship Division, Asido. Asido had short, reddish-brown hair and seemed to be someone with a quiet personality. "Before long, I'll be joining the expedition to Hueco Mundo. Things in the squad have been hectic, and I haven't been able to break away. I'm sorry this is our first group meeting since the semester started." Asido's face was filled with apology. "I've really been an unfit department head. Katori-sensei only just joined, and I'm sure there's still a lot he's unfamiliar with. Please, Danmu-sensei, look after him a little more." "You flatter me, Department Head. The expedition to Hueco Mundo is the more urgent matter. That place is full of dangers, and thorough preparation is key. Besides, Danmu-sensei has already helped me a great deal, making my work much smoother," Nanatsuki replied gently. To maintain the balance between the three realms, the Soul Society organized an expedition to Hueco Mundo every century or two, purging the Hollow population. "Thank you for your understanding, Katori-sensei. By the way, I heard there are two new teachers in the Swordsmanship Division..." Asido looked toward the other instructor, Danmu Zōsuke. Counting Asido himself, there were five teachers in the Swordsmanship Division. However, only three were present in the meeting room. The senior instructor, Murata-sensei, had recently fallen ill and was currently on sick leave. The other new teacher, Tokitani Tsunayashiro, was absent. "Ah, right—Tsunayashiro-sensei had some family matters. He probably won't make it today," Danmu Zōsuke said with a hint of helplessness. In truth, Tokitani hadn't asked for leave at all. But Danmu Zōsuke didn't want to offend him, so he naturally avoided bringing it up. Still, since Asido asked, he had no choice but to respond. "I see," Asido nodded. Just hearing that family name, he had a rough idea—yet another high-ranking noble here just to pad their résumé. "Murata-sensei is quite elderly. I visited him already, and it's unclear how long it'll take him to recover. But his class can't go without an instructor. Danmu-sensei, could you possibly spare some time to help with his class?" Asido asked, sounding slightly embarrassed. If not for the squad's busy affairs, this should have been his responsibility—especially since he wasn't currently assigned to any class. "Ah... I still have to teach my own class. If I take on Murata-sensei's students too, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it," Danmu Zōsuke said. "I could speak to teachers from other divisions and try to reschedule the class times to avoid any conflicts," Asido offered. "The main issue is that my class is about to graduate, and there's a lot to prepare. Later on, I also have to lead the on-site training in the World of the Living... I really won't be able to manage," Danmu said with a troubled expression. From their third year onward, students at the Spiritual Arts Academy would participate in practical missions simulating real Shinigami duties once a year. These annual field exercises were always supervised by the homeroom instructor. Murata and Danmu were both more than just sword instructors—they were also homeroom teachers for their respective graduating classes. If Danmu were to take over Murata's class, he'd be responsible for the practical training of two graduating classes—certainly a heavy burden. Nanatsuki thought it over. In fact, he was quite suited to take over the class. Taking on an extra class would mean double the daily instructional feedback rewards. A single day's reward wasn't much, but over the course of a year, it would really add up. Moreover, based on what he'd learned about the teacher system recently, leading students in field training likely also generated reward feedback. The field courses were challenging for students, but for an official Shinigami like him, the difficulty wasn't high. He had no reason to turn down such a beneficial opportunity. "Department Head, if Danmu-sensei is too busy, I can take over Murata-sensei's class," Nanatsuki offered with a smile. "You've only just joined, Katori-sensei. Are you sure you can handle two classes?" Asido was a bit surprised by Nanatsuki's initiative. "I seem to be adapting to teaching pretty well. I don't think it'll be a problem. And if I do run into anything, I can always consult the experienced Danmu-sensei," Nanatsuki said, still smiling. Seeing Nanatsuki take the initiative, Danmu Zōsuke quickly added, "I heard from the new Kidō instructor that the students in Katori-sensei's class have nothing but praise for him! Katori-sensei is a natural-born teacher. If anything comes up, just let me know anytime!" "Then I'll leave Murata-sensei's class in your hands, Katori-sensei. And if you need any help, feel free to come to Squad 11 and find me," said Asido. Asido had originally been the 3rd Seat of Squad 11 and had recently been promoted to Lieutenant upon returning to the squad. Soon, he would be leading part of Squad 11 as they joined the expeditionary force to Hueco Mundo. The expeditionary squads were composed of Shinigami drawn from various Divisions, but Squad 11—being the front-line assault division—always contributed the most. So Asido was incredibly busy now, overseeing both personnel and supplies. After Asido left, Danmu Zōsuke patted Nanatsuki on the shoulder with a grateful look. "Katori-sensei, you've really helped me out this time. If you hadn't taken on Murata-sensei's class, that burden would've fallen on me. Just thinking about teaching two graduating classes at once is enough to give me a headache—especially since being a homeroom teacher means so much more than just lecturing." "You're too kind, Danmu-sensei. We're all colleagues—it's only natural to help each other," Nanatsuki replied. "Haha, Katori-sensei, drinks are on me after work!" Danmu laughed heartily. The next day, Nanatsuki received his updated class schedule and the student roster for the Sixth Years. He glanced at the schedule. His timetable was already quite full—his class of freshmen had six swordsmanship lessons each week. The Sixth Years had a different schedule—only four weekly group swordsmanship classes. By this point in their education, most students had begun to show clear aptitude in certain areas. From the sixth year onward, students could choose advanced specialization courses based on their previous performance, beginning a year of focused training. Advanced swordsmanship courses were typically taught by the department head. But with Asido being so occupied, the task had fallen to the veteran instructor Murata. Now that Nanatsuki had taken over Murata's duties, he not only had to teach the Sixth Year class but also lead the advanced swordsmanship courses. This meant that on top of his regular lessons, he'd be teaching three extra advanced swordsmanship sessions each week. But for Nanatsuki, that was a good thing. The more classes he taught, the more reward feedback he'd receive. As his eyes scanned the Sixth Year roster, one name quickly caught his attention.